


Are You Dead? (Sometimes I Think I'm Dead)

by Spagheddje



Series: Family Divided (Dream SMP) [4]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Arson, Bonding, Dream Team SMP Spoilers, Enderman Hybrid Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Heart-to-Heart, Hurt/Comfort, It just helps add context, It's not a heavy plot point in this one though, Mentioned Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Mentioned TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Piglin Hybrid Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo-centric (Video Blogging RPF), Road Trips, Technoblade Hears Voices (Video Blogging RPF), Technoblade Needs a Hug (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot and Technoblade and TommyInnit are Siblings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-14 12:09:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28795164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spagheddje/pseuds/Spagheddje
Summary: As they wait for the Mansion to crumble, Ranboo and Techno discover they have more in common than previously thought.Aka as they sit in a tree while waiting for the Woodland Mansion to burn, Techno confesses he hears voices, and Ranboo asks for advice on how to deal with them.(Spoilers for the Jan 14th road trip stream, as well as spoilers for Ranboo's Jan 15th stream, but that won't be until chapter 2)Part 4 of my Family Divided series, but can be read alone!
Series: Family Divided (Dream SMP) [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2096295
Comments: 12
Kudos: 308





	Are You Dead? (Sometimes I Think I'm Dead)

**Author's Note:**

> I just want them to bond, y'know? They both deserve a break for once :') hope you enjoy! Just a couple of lads bonding over hearing voices while a whole ass house burns in the distance. Brotherly bonding!! 
> 
> Title is from the song This Is Home by Cavetown!

Ranboo could feel the distant warmth radiating off the fire, he could hear the soft crackling of flames eating hungrily away at the mansion’s dark wood. Fire lapsed and slunk over every surface, lighting up the night sky and destroying everything in it’s path.

In a way, it was oddly beautiful. 

The Enderman Hybrid sat in a tree, sitting on one of the more sturdy branches. He had front row seats to watch the mansion burn. They had some time to kill until enough of the mansion had decayed that they could go in and loot any hidden chests, so Ranboo figured he might as well watch the show. Long legs were dangling over the edge of the branch, swinging absentmindedly. His fingers were picking at loose pieces of bark, flicking the tiny chunks down to the ground below when they crumbled and fell into his palms.

Somewhere down below him, Technoblade was doing a headcount on his dogs. He could hear the other man muttering something about how “Technochan” was a stupid name, but Ranboo didn’t listen too closely. That, and it was slightly difficult to hear Techno over both the snuffling of all the dogs below him, as well as the flames. 

The road trip was going well, if he did say so himself. It was much better than the last one. Tubbo wasn’t there to scream, get lost, or go on a “villain arc” and destroy their portal. Phil wasn’t shouting at him to share his gummy worms. Eret wasn’t threatening to burn down neighbouring villages. It had been fun, though. That didn’t mean he didn’t miss the trio. Travelling with Techno was just less chaotic. There was less screaming, less confused wandering, and a lot more puppies.

He and Techno were actually getting along surprisingly well. They’d been laughing and joking around the entire day, telling stories and bonding (at least Ranboo thought they were). Truthfully, Ranboo had expected Techno to be a tough nut to crack. He expected a lot of resistance, especially after what had happened between him and Tommy, but having fun with the Blood God came fairly easily. To be fair, maybe his gift (rent, really) he’d given him that morning had softened him up a little.

_“I made this.” Ranboo carefully pressed the Netherite axe into Techno’s hands, watching the way ruby eyes scanned the item quizzically. It was virtually the exact same to the Axe of Peace that Tommy had refused to give back, enchantments included. “I heard that you lost it when you were blowing up the country.” He offered a nervous smile, keeping his arms tense at his sides. Both their gazes were still fixed on the weapon._

_“That’s true.” Techno mumbled, spinning it in his hands as he got a feel for the weight of it. For a moment Techno looked sad, and Ranboo was worried he’d overstepped. Was this going to be it? Would this be the moment Techno told him to get the hell off of his property? Would he have to be alone again? He’d just settled in, he didn’t think he could handle-_

_“I suppose this gift is sorta okay.” Techno suddenly blurted out, the newfound confidence in his voice making the voices in Ranboo’s head go silent. “I suppose I might find a use for this.” The Piglin Hybrid turned and began to move towards his cabin as Ranboo could feel the tension draining from his shoulders. Techno wasn’t going to kick him out._

_“Maybe.” Ranboo found himself following after Techno like a lost puppy (maybe he as an honorary member of the Hound Army), and he could hear the older man muttering to himself._

_“This is fine, my heart isn’t warmed at all. Just ‘cause you gave me this axe doesn’t mean we’re friends now. Don’t get any ideas.”_

_“Of course.” Despite his words, Ranboo could see the small grin on the corner’s of Techno’s mouth when he poked his head into the house._

_It wasn’t much, but it was a good start._

The sound of leaves rustling brought Ranboo out of his head, and he turned to see Techno settling down in the open spot beside him on the branch. He had to adjust his cloak and recenter the crown that sat atop his head but finally he settled down, strands of pale pink hair tucked behind his ears, jaw tight. He didn’t look at Ranboo, and the younger boy could see the reflection of the flames dancing along the mansion in his eyes.

While the trip was nice, it was also a friendly reminder that this was virtually the first time that Ranboo had hung out with Techno where Techno wasn’t trying to kill him, or blow something up. Not that he was complaining, since he liked being alive, but it was odd. It was odd seeing the Blood God that everyone feared, sitting calmly with him in a tree, grumbling to himself about how annoying it was that the mansion was taking so long to burn. 

“When was the last time you ate?” Techno suddenly grunted, and it took all of Ranboo’s effort not to jump in surprise. As if on cue, the younger boy’s stomach grumbled, and Techno seemed to magically produce two golden carrots in his hands. They were handed over with a gruff, “eat” and Ranboo, not wanting to disappoint, took a bite of the vegetable. Techno made a satisfied nod, then sighed and seemed to straighten his posture, ever so slightly.

The pair lapsed into a comfortable silence, both of them watching as the left side of the mansion finally collapsed into a dusty, broken heap. The right side still stood, as if it was attempting to defy the flames, but Ranboo knew it wouldn’t last long. It would succumb. 

Techno huffed out a breathy laugh beside him, and Ranboo’s brows knitted into one of confusion. The piglin hybrid did his best to cover up the laugh with a cough, pressing the side of his fist to his mouth momentarily.

“You alright?”

“Yeah, sorry. Sometimes the chat says some stupid stuff.” Techno shrugged as if it was the most casual thing in the world, and it only furthered Ranboo’s confusion. Seeing the look on the younger boy’s face, Techno sighed, fingers absentmindedly petting the white fluff around the edge of his cape while he spoke. “I hear voices sometimes, apparently it’s a family thing. Phil does too. I nicknamed them ‘chat’ a few months ago. Mostly they just say E, or some dumb stuff, or,” he hesitated, jaw tightening, “other things. I heard someone say ‘arson pog’ and it caught me off guard.”

Something in Ranboo’s chest surged, and in that moment, a wave of both relief and dread washed over him. This confirmed his theory that there were others like him, that heard intrusive voices. He knew Phil heard them, he’d been very blunt about that, but knowing Techno heard them too came as such a blessing.

However, there was also the issue that the only two people he knew of with this issue were the most wanted war criminals on the server, other than Dream himself. The rest of the SMP saw Techno and Phil as evil. Did that make Ranboo evil, too? Was he destined to follow down the same path as the other two, to a life of violence and anarchy? Ranboo’s throat felt tight, and his hands that rested on the branch below them gripped the bark just a smidge tighter.

“Do they ever get quieter?” Ranboo blurted out, and for the first time since he’d joined him, Techno’s head turned to look at him. Ranboo’s eyes immediately focused on the ground below them in hopes of avoiding eye contact, but he caught the look of recognition flash across Techno’s face out of the corner of his eye.

“You hear them too, huh?” He didn’t necessarily sound sympathetic, more amused. Curious, perhaps. Something in Ranboo’s stomach twisted uncomfortably.

“Sometimes. They,” Ranboo hesitated, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth, and he could’ve sworn he saw Techno tilt his head in silent support, encouraging him to continue, “they tell me things I’ve done, things I don’t remember. These awful things. It’s so overwhelming, y’know? I don’t know how to get them to quiet down, sometimes. They’ve been better lately, since Phil rescued me, but other times it feels like...like a whole concert going on in my brain, and I can’t find my earplugs.” He let out a sad, breathy laugh, swallowing the lump forming in his throat. Once he’d rambled, it didn’t seem like he’d been able to stop. He’d never been able to pour these feelings out to anyone before, but the metaphorical dam had already broken. 

“Yeah, I get that.” Techno hummed, reaching up to take the crown off from the top of his head. He let it rest in his lap, both sets of eyes focusing on the item. “I started hearing them when I was a kid. Wilbur and I were sparring like we usually did, while Phil sat on the porch with Tommy. He was always so annoyed that he was too little to fight with us, so Phil would hold him and tell him stories. I got distracted while looking at them, and Wilbur actually managed to get a good hit in. The fact the swords were made outta wood didn’t matter. I hit the ground a little too hard and got a nosebleed, and everything just fell apart. It got so loud, all I could hear was screaming and the sound of my own heartbeat.” He gave a sad smile, fingers tightening around his crown. “I don’t even really remember it, but apparently I attacked Wilbur. I somehow managed to pin him down and was about to stab him in the face, but Phil heard Wil screaming and intervened. He’s still got a scar on his palm from where he grabbed the blade, did you know that?”

Ranboo found himself unable to answer, body tense as he waited for Techno to continue. 

“He had to just hold me while I screamed. Wil mentioned once that I’d started ripping out chunks of my hair in desperation, squealing and sobbing like,” he huffed out another laugh, “like a terrified pig. I passed out at some point, I guess, maybe Phil knocked me out. Like I said, I don’t really remember. It got a bit easier after that to learn how to handle them, but that was the first time. Now I barely notice them. Well, I do, but we get along.”

“Oh.” Lovely response, Ranboo told himself. He took a moment to compose himself before his shoulder sagged in defeat. “How did you learn to...”

“Get along with them? I call them out on their tomfoolery.” Techno said sarcastically, but something in Ranboo made him believe that it wasn’t sarcastic at all. “We’re friends. Heck, they even look out for me sometimes. Remind me to eat, sleep, warn me about incoming threats, and when it can’t be avoided, I give them what they want; Blood for the Blood God.”

Ranboo had to suppress the ender-noise that threatened to bubble up in his throat. It was an instinctive response whenever he became nervous, but he didn’t want to ruin the mood, or throw Techno off. 

“What do you do when they lie to you?” He breathed, watching as Techno contemplated a response. Finally, the older male sighed.

“I confront them about it. Sometimes they apologize, but typically, they just stop. It's almost like they’re pouting. Radio silence for a while, you get me?”

“Yeah, I think so. Confrontation is key.” Maybe that was what he needed to do with the voice he heard in his panic room. The rest he could handle, but that one was too much. He was sick and tired of it’s lies. It was time to put it in line. 

The pair fell silent again for what felt like hours, but was probably only a handful of minutes, and Ranboo turned his gaze back to the burning inferno that was the mansion. It was pretty much entirely gone now, leaving only the cobblestone support beams standing. That was apparently enough for Techno, because with a soft groan, he stretched his arms, put the crown back on his head, and climbed down from the branch, landing on the ground below with a soft _whump._

“Let’s loot this sucker!”

When they’d grabbed every valuable item they could carry, the duo were preparing to leave. Techno had done a second headcount on his dogs, scowling when one simply named Person nudged against his hand. If Ranboo saw Techno take the time to give the animal a few scritches behind the ear, he didn’t mention it. He definitely had a new respect for the other hybrid. They weren’t friends, not yet, but it was something. It was a start. Ranboo felt safe. 

Techno adjusted the axe that hung on his hip as a puzzled look crossed the man’s face. Ranboo raised a brow, coming to an assumption as he saw Techno’s eyes darting around the forest floor, as if searching for something. 

“Techno?”

“Heh?”

“What are the voices saying now?”

“They’re reminding me that we, uh, didn’t write down the coordinates of our Portal home.”

“Fuck.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Part 2 will hopefully be up in the next day or two :) 
> 
> Feel free to come scream with me on twitter @LovebotHux, or Tumblr @subject-to-feels!


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